Hello friends. I know I've been MIA, but to be honest life has just been a whole lot of balancing and in that balancing I just chose to neglect blogging. So, here I am back at it again. Hopefully I find a way to organize myself to, you know actually do all of the things I want to do. Enough catching up, though, you're here because you want to hear about books and books you shall be given!

Today we're going to talk about all the marvelous and glorious things that will make this girl pick up a book.

1. Fake dating

I'm registered fake dating trash. It doesn't matter that the plot is pretty much the same all the time. Y'all know the drill. The whole don't fall in love with me thing, this is just to make my ex jealous/just need a date for this one thing/just need you to pretend to get my family off my case/inherit a major fortune that requires me to be married/engaged. Yet, they end up falling in love totally and completely and they're all heart eyes emoji but refuse to say anything because the other person might not feel the same, until one of them cracks and they kiss for real and it's all good and wonderful in the world. Total sucker for that. It's all the same and yet I will go to it like a moth drawn towards the flame.

2. Healthy female friendships

Girl, I will show up for female friendships faster than I will show up for some ice cream*. There's something about watching two girls genuinely and truly support each other that I love. I love it and there needs to be more of it. All around me. Like, to be real with you I don't think we get enough of girls who genuinely support each other and uplift each other and are just great female friends. We need more of that and I will show up for it, always.

**

*and I love ice cream only second to books

**great movie, you should all watch it. The name of the movie is Now and Then. You're welcome.

3. Best friends falling in love

Another one of those sometimes formulaic things. Another one of those things I'm always there for. I mean, what's cuter than someone you've known forever and who knows you inside out suddenly realizing that they're in love with you? I mean, like seriously. It's like an Ed Sheeran freaking song. I just go all soft in the knees and swoony when it happens.

Did you hear that? Well, that was me swooning and I don't even know what movie is that from. I would still watch it. Also, I just realized this whole list so far pretty much applies to movies too.

4. Well done diversity

I mean not that this should even be a point that needs to be made, but apparently it does. So, yes I'm all for diverse books, but what's more I'm all for books with diversity done right or diverse books that are #ownvoices. As a Mexican girl juggling identity in a border city (one featured in Ari and Dante, mind you) with friends that live in the Mexican side and ones that live in the American side and the way the two cultures and languages and whatnot mix I'm all for diversity. All. For. It. However, I'm not all for diversity done wrong or accessorizing or any of those other things that just plain suck.

5. Magical realism

I'm such a magical realism fan. Like, I adore the crap out of that. A teacher of mine once owned it up to me being Latina and I was like "Hmmh... okay, but what does that have to do with anything?" Anyway, I just love magical realism. I don't know how it happened, but I'm all for it. It's like if you have hints of magical realism thrown in there I will take a peek and be generally intrigued.

and much less creepy about it too.

6. Deserts

I'm a desert dweller and I cannot for the life of me fathom why would anyone want to rot away in humidity and sweat and ugh. They might be scorching hot but I just ugh... Gross. Also they make for pretty sunsets and exciting adventures and pretty costumes and bonding and I just will show up for deserts (and desserts, too) because they need more appreciation. Beaches get all the love. #justicefordeserts2k17

i lie to you not, i only had to add the text.

don't look at my poetry, that's rude
look at the pretty sunset
can you tell i chose this image because I was too lazy to look for a pretty sunset photo on my phone?

7. #SquadGoals

There's nothing I love more than a group of characters that are squad goals. I talked about female friendship, but like I will literally go crazy over any sort of friendship or partnership or whatever. Some of my fave books just have a tight knit group of characters I wish I could be friends with.

8. Worlds

This is only relevant in the case of fantasy and the such, but there's nothing I love more than some great world building. It's why I flock to certain authors all the time, because I just know that they will deliver. So, if your book has awesome world building, sign me up.

That's all I've got. What about you? What are some things you love to see in books?